Prayagraj: A massive crowd heading to Prayagraj for Maha Kumbh caused a complete standstill on major roads leading to the city. The district administration on Wednesday stopped vehicles from entering Prayagraj, leading to long traffic jams and severe inconvenience for pilgrims.
A stampede took place in Prayagraj earlier in the day early morning on the auspicious occasion of Mauni Amavasya. Both Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed their condolences to the affected families.
All routes, including National Highway-19 and rural roads up to 100 kilometers away, have been blocked since Tuesday night. Vehicles from neighboring states, including buses, have been stopped at Chandauli, causing a jam at the UP-Bihar border in Naubatpur. Roadways buses headed for Prayagraj have also been turned back to depots.
Pilgrims stranded for hours
Due to the roadblocks, lakhs of people have been stranded, many of them hungry and thirsty for hours. Since Tuesday night, long queues of vehicles—some stretching up to 20 kilometers—can be seen on various roads. Many pilgrims, unable to move forward, were left to fend for themselves.
Despite the difficulties, the spirit of devotion remains high. Loud chants of “Jai Shri Ram” and “Har Har Mahadev” echoed among the stranded devotees. Meanwhile, some villagers along the blocked routes have come forward to help. Inspired by the spirit of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (the world is one family), locals have organized food distribution (Bhandara) at some places, offering relief to hungry travelers.
At certain locations, stranded pilgrims have taken matters into their own hands. They have collected potatoes from nearby fields and cow dung cakes from villages to cook simple meals on the roadside. Though insufficient, these efforts have provided some relief to those struggling in the jam.
Stampede at Maha Kumbh
At least 20 people are feared dead and several others injured in the stampede. However, Kumbh Nagari SSP Rajesh Dwivedi denied that a stampede took place. Instead he claimed that the injuries were caused due to crowd pressure.
